Mercedes Gleitze's Cross-Channel Swim, rigging out pilot boat

Black and white photograph depicting Mercedes Gleitze’s Cross-Channel Swim. There is a wooden boat containg seven men in the middle of the photograph. At the side of the boat are two males.

Mercedes Gleitze had one successful English Channel swim, on the 7 Oct 1927. Her time was 15hrs 15mins, France to England.

She had 14 unsuccessful attempts; 9 England-France, 6 France-England, between 1922 and 1923. The times varied from 1hr to 14hrs 59mins.

She was the first women to attempt to swim the North Channel – Ireland to Scotland, which she attempted 5 times. She was the first person to swim the Straits of Gibraltar, on her 6th attempt in 1928. She also completed 51 endurance swims, 14 swims from 26hrs to 40hrs 30mins in just one year.